Digital vs Press Printing

Digital printing is the process of printing a digital image onto print media. This is typically done using large laser and inkjet printers. Digital printing provides several distinct advantages:

• Fast Print Times: jobs have a very low turnaround time.
• Consistency: every print is identical
• Low Volume is still Low Cost: it isn’t hard to get set up for a digital printing job, low volume jobs can still be done at low cost
• Print Variables: text and graphics can be changed on each individual piece of the job, without the need to stop or slow down the print process (example: a different name could be printed on each document)

PRESS/OFFSET PRINTING

Press printing uses the process of literally pressing an image onto the medium. This is done by transferring and image via ink from a plate to a rubber blanket, and then onto the print media. The advantages of press printing are:

• High Image Quality
• Large Range of Print Media: paper, wood, cloth, metal, leather, and plastic
• Lower Cost at High Volumes

SUMMARY

Digital printing has the advantage of being a much newer technology compared to press printing. This allows digital printing to typically offer the best combination of price, features, speed, and quality. There are still situations that would be better suited to press printing, such as extreme high volume jobs.